FORT WORTH, Texas _ The Dallas Cowboys were 2-1 going into their Week 4 game a season ago with Tony Romo and Dez Bryant sidelined with injuries.
Sounds familiar, right?
The Cowboys find themselves in a similar position this season with Romo definitely out, and Bryant likely out for Sunday's game at San Francisco. Also missing will be starting left guard La'el Collins with other staples such as left tackle Tyron Smith, right tackle Doug Free and cornerback Orlando Scandrick listed as questionable.
This year, though, there is a different feel around the locker room in how the team can handle injuries. Instead of winning just two of their final 13 regular-season games as they did a year ago, the Cowboys fully expect to stay in playoff contention.
"Adversity happens to a football team over the course of 16 games. Injuries are adversity," coach Jason Garrett said. "If you built the team the right way from the outset and you coach well and you play well, you have a better chance of handling it.
"There are a lot of lessons learned for all of us last year about how to build a team better, how to coach better."
The most significant difference is at backup quarterback. Instead of relying on a journeyman veteran such as Brandon Weeden or Matt Cassel, the Cowboys have a young, energetic rookie quarterback playing beyond his experience in Dak Prescott.
Prescott, a fourth-round draft pick out of Mississippi State, has yet to throw an interception and appears to be among the biggest steals to come out of this year's draft. He has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 767 yards with one touchdown, and has also rushed for 54 yards and two scores.
"Obviously we have depth at quarterback. We knew that was better going in any event, though we didn't have an expectation of Dak playing this early," offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. "We had a big expectation of him being as good as he is, but he's proving that he's ready to go sooner than later."
Instead of counting on a mercurial player such as Joseph Randle to stabilize the running game, the Cowboys have a rookie in Ezekiel Elliott who was the highest-rated running back on their draft board since Adrian Peterson.
Elliott is coming off a breakout game in which he rushed for 140 yards on 30 carries.
The Cowboys also have better depth along the offensive line and at wide receiver. There is little dropoff with veteran Ron Leary filling in for Collins. And second-year pro Chaz Green played well in place of Smith last week against Chicago.
Even with Smith and Collins missing much of last Sunday's game, the Cowboys did not allow a sack.
At wide receiver, Cole Beasley is having a career year, and Brice Butler gives the team a vertical threat should Bryant miss the game.
This is why everyone from Bryant to tight end Jason Witten dismisses a doom-and-gloom scenario unfolding as it did a season ago.
"You just can't flinch in those situations," Witten said. "You just have to keep moving forward. Teams have adversities all the time and you have to be able to keep moving."
Witten pointed out the Cowboys have done well offensively compared to last season.
They rank first in third-down conversions at 52 percent early this season, a year after they ranked 27th and converted only 35 percent. In the red zone, the Cowboys have converted 67 percent of their trips into touchdowns, which is 10th best in the NFL.
A year ago, Dallas converted only 44 percent of red-zone trips into TDs, better only than San Francisco and Cleveland.
Defensively, the Cowboys already have four takeaways. Last year, they ranked last with 11. They are also taking care of the ball on offense, with only two giveaways compared to 33 last season, tying for the league lead.
This year's team is better constructed to succeed in those situations, in large part because the personnel is more talented.
"There's a different sense or a different feeling in the locker room," center Travis Frederick said. "And confidence might be it. It might be camaraderie. It might be team chemistry. I don't know exactly what it is.
"You can tell there is a little bit different feeling, and we try to do a good job of keeping that in check and making sure that's not overly confident and not willing and ready to prepare, because I think the guys have done a good job of going out throughout the week and preparing and a good job in meetings and in practices. That's really what we're focusing on."
Prescott and Elliott have taken advantage of their opportunities early this season. So has anyone else who's been thrown into the line of duty, from rookie cornerback Anthony Brown replacing Scandrick last week to Leary and Green filling roles on the O-line.
"The mindset. The guys want to come up when they get their shot and take advantage of their opportunities," Prescott said of why this team is equipped to handle injuries.
"Just the hunger and the drive to take advantage of their opportunities when presented."
